NordicTrack Recumbent Bike Reviews For 2023

There’s isn’t much choice out there when looking for a NordicTrack Recumbent Bike. In fact, these guys only make one recumbent bike, and that’s the Commercial R35 recumbent bike, which is an excellent bike. I reviewed it a few weeks ago, and it boasts; a semi- commercial build, a heavy flywheel, and the best monitor you’ll find on any bike in that price bracket, the only drawback is that it costs $1500 which might be too much for some to spend on a recumbent bike.

If this is your first recumbent bike is a good idea to know what to look for, so I put together a quick tick list of the most important features you’re recumbent bike should include:

What To Look For

• When buying any recumbent bike, the first thing you should look for is easy access to the seat; this is important, especially if you have bad knees. A walk thru frame is a design feature that gets rid of that awkward horizontal bar you have to step over on upright bikes and some recumbents.
• Next is built quality; a heavy machine is a telling sign the recumbent bike is made from quality materials, so any bike you choose needs some weight to it. You don’t want a cheaply made lightweight machine; these things don’t last long and are unstable because of their lightweight design.
• A heavy flywheel is also a must, as the weight of the flywheel determines how smooth the pedaling motion is and how strong the resistance is in the upper levels. Without a heavy flywheel or at least a wheel that weighs over 15lb, your pedaling motion might stutter and feel jerky, and resistance won’t be strong enough, even for some beginners.
• Comfort is also important. You’ll spend many hours on this recumbent bike, so make you find a bike with a wide, padded contoured seat. A countered seat is vital as it will give extra stability and stops your butt slipping on the seat.
• A decent monitor is important but not essential. Build quality, ease of access, and a smooth pedaling motion are the essentials.

Okay, so let’s get on with the review summaries for each bike. For those in a rush below is a comparison table for the top 2 recumbent bikes, and if you have more time, please scroll past it and read the reviews.

Top 2 Comparison Table

NordicTrack Recumbent Bike Reviews

1. NordicTrack R35 Recumbent Bike (Best Overall)

NordicTrack doesn’t always get everything right, I’ve been reviewing their gear for years, and sometimes these guys put the tech first and the build later, but I’m glad to say lately, things have started to change. NordicTrack are building heavy-duty machines.

With something like the R35 recumbent bike, you’ve got the build quality. This machine weighs 160lb, that’s almost commercial heavy. This is what I have always wanted to see from NordicTrack; you now have the build quality to match the impressive tech that comes with their equipment.

And it’s the heavy-duty build I like most about the R35 recumbent bike. It’s a sturdy well made machine. That extra weight is a telling sign that this recumbent bike is made of high-quality materials, and the commercial-grade steel frame gives this bike that solid feel we’re all after.

Also, they didn’t hold back on the flywheel either, it’s a good weight, 25lb is more than enough weight to keep the pedaling motion smooth and resistance in those all-important upper levels strong.

Still, it’s not just the build quality that shines about the R35. I think what most people will like about this bike is how easy it is to access, you have the walk-thru frame, and the bike isn’t too low to the ground, so you don’t have to bend too far to sit on it. Plus, the seat handlebars are quite long, so you’ll have something to grab onto for support as you lower yourself onto the bike. It’s a well-designed machine, especially for people with bad knees.

14″ Touchscreen

As with all NordicTrack products, the monitor outshines everything in its class. You’ve got a large 14″ crisp HD touchscreen, perfect for viewing iFit, their fitness app. It’s the best monitor I’ve seen on any recumbent bike in this price range, and the large one-touch buttons make it very easy to use.

And lastly, the seat is well padded using high-density foam, the gold standard for padding. It’s not too soft to cause stability problems or too hard to be off-putting. It’s just right. The seat has ten adjustment positions with a height range of 4’10 – 6’2″.

Is there anything that lets the R35 down? Yes, the resistance strength is quite strong even in the lower levels; this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for most people, but some beginners may find it tough going for the first few months until they build up more strength.

Also, the seat backrest isn’t adjustable, so if you have a bad back, you may have an issue with this. However, if you want a recumbent bike with an adjustable backrest, you have to pay for the privilege. I’ve only seen adjustable backrests on recumbent bikes costing over $2k.

Overall I think NordicTrack has outdone themselves with this bike. It’s a bike that delivers on all the essentials. The pedaling motion is smooth, the large Touchscreen is impressive, and, most importantly, the semi-commercial build of the R35 keeps everything feeling sturdy. It’s certainly one of my favorite recumbent bikes for around $1500, only matched by SoleFitness’s LCR Recumbent Bike.

2. ProForm Pro C10R Recumbent Bike (Best Affordable)

As I mentioned in the intro, ProForm is owned by the same company as NordicTrack, so there will be many similarities in their products. The C10R from ProForm is a mid-level recumbent bike. It’s priced just under $700 right now, so it’s not going to be as heavy-duty as the NordicTrack R35, but it’s not some lightweight, cheaply made machine either.

This recumbent bike weighs over 100lb which is excellent for the price point. Most of the low-cost gear you see on Amazon weighs under 60lb, so this machine is much higher up the scale than any of those.

But what surprised me most about this recumbent bike was the weight of the flywheel. It weighs 25lb which is heavy for a $700 recumbent. This ensures the pedaling motion is extra smooth, and you won’t have any trouble with resistance strength. You’re not going to outgrow this bike anytime soon.

The design is also great; you have the walk-thru frame for easy access to the seat and the long handlebars, and what I like most is that you can adjust the seat horizontally and vertically, a feature you won’t find on many recumbent bikes.

Recumbent bikes are known for their low profile design, which usually means the seats are pretty low, and if you’ve got bad knees, it can be painful to bend so far to sit. A vertically adjustable seat gives the seat that extra height making it much easier for people with arthritis or anyone with bad knees to sit on the seat.

Also, you have the best monitor in the price bracket, something I’ve come to expect when reviewing anything from NordicTrack or Proform. The monitor on the C10R measures 10″ it’s a Smart, full-color touchscreen, and looks very impressive with the iFit app.

The iFit app is an excellent fitness app. It’s packed full of global routes, studio classes and includes all the cool features like auto trainer control and Google Maps. But it can be expensive. What I recommend you do, is choose the subscription for a single person as this only costs 50c a day, half the price of the family subscription.

Overall the ProForm is another Impressive recumbent bike; you have a well-built machine with a surprisingly heavy flywheel and an excellent monitor, and it’s one of the easiest recumbent bikes I’ve reviewed to get on and off of.

Nothing else on the market is as impressive as this machine for $700. It’s unmatched. The only downside is you have to subscribe to iFit to make the most out of that lovely touchscreen, as it’s not compatible with any other fitness apps, and there are no built-in workout programs with the C10R.

Buying Tips and Info

Here’s a detailed guide of what to look for when buying a recumbent bike for your home.

Resistance Type

The best type of resistance system for an exercise bike you will use at home is a frictionless one. A frictionless system like magnetic resistance is much quieter and smoother than any other system. The reason why, is that the magnets of the resistance system never have to touch the flywheel: thus it’s quiet and extra smooth.

Also, because magnetic resistance is a constant resistance so you can pedal slowly on a high resistance level which is great for building leg muscles. Something thats impossible with air resistance machines as air resistance is dynamic.

Belt Drive System

As well as a magnetic resistance system, you also need to look for a belt drive system. Belt drive systems are much quieter than the alternative, which is a chain drive system. They’re also much smoother in motion. When you combine a magnetic resistance system with a belt drive system, you’ll have the quietest and smoothest combination you can find for any recumbent bike. The NordicTrack and ProForm recumbent bikes are equipped with both.

Recumbent Bike Seat

Recumbent bikes are all about comfort and low-impact exercising, so ideally, you want to find a recumbent bike with a padded and wide seat. You’ll be surprised some recumbents don’t even have padding for the seat. Avoid those bikes.

The seat padding needs to be comfy but not too padded that it causes stability issues and not too hard that it’s off-putting. The best type of padding for this is high-density foam. You won’t find this type of padding on all recumbent bikes, but it’s a bonus if you can. The seat should also be contoured to prevent your butt from slipping.

The backrest of the seat is important. Some people like the backrest to be padded for extra comfort, whereas I prefer it to be vented, which lets the airflow and prevents sweating.

People with bad backs typically will need a backrest that adjusts to suit their condition. Still, finding an affordable recumbent bike with an adjustable backrest is tough. I’ve only seen adjustable backrests on high-end commercial machines, which cost thousands.

10 Position Adjustable Seat is Best

The seat needs to be adjustable, especially if more than one person is using the bike. Some low-cost recumbent bikes do not come with adjustable seats, and I highly recommend you avoid these. Choose a recumbent bike seat with at least ten adjustable positions. This way, you should be able to find the perfect cycling position to suit your size.

Ease of Access

Perhaps what’s most important when buying a recumbent bike is how easy the access to the seat is. You need to look for a walk thru frame design, as this will allow easy access.

Also, look for seat handlebars for extra support as you lower yourself onto the seat, and lastly, don’t choose a recumbent bike with an extra low profile. Recumbent bikes, in general, are low profile. Low profile is great for stability, but if you have pain when you bend your knees, a very low profile design will cause you pain when you go to sit on the bike.

Flywheel weight

The weight of the flywheel is more important than most people think, as the weight of the flywheel is the main factor determining how smooth your recumbent bike’s pedaling motion feels. Low-cost recumbent bikes typically have light flywheels, some under 5lb. A flywheel this light will result in a jerky pedaling motion, so you want to avoid anything this light.

You really need to look for a flywheel weighing over 15lb. 15 lb is enough weight to keep everything smooth and consistent.

Also, the flywheel weight is one of the main factors determining how strong your resistance feels in the upper levels, so again, try to avoid light flywheel and look for 15lb or over.

Built Quality/Stability

Most of the time, you can usually tell the quality of a recumbent bike or any bike by its weight; the heavier, the better, so it is no surprise that the most expensive bikes are the heaviest.

For home bikes, don’t go too cheap. Cheap bikes weigh the least. They’re made with lightweight parts that wear quickly. Some cheap recumbent bikes won’t even last a year. You need to look for a weight of at least 70-80lb just to be sure of some quality in  the build. If you can afford it go heavy; over 100lb is great for a home recumbent bike. Also, that extra weight really helps to keep the bike sturdy and planted to the floor. The last thing you want is a bike that moves around while you exercise.

Stability features are also important; look for adjustable levelers built into the rear stabilizers. These can be independently adjusted to keep the bike stable on uneven floors. They really are excellent stability feature. Also, look for wide stabilizer bars front and rear.

The Monitor

I’ve never considered the monitor a vital feature—the type of monitor you want and its features are more of a personal preference.

There are some things I feel a monitor should include, like the large one-touch buttons, as they keep everything simple and speeds up changing resistance strength, etc. You also want a monitor screen that is large enough that you read your workout stats easily while exercising.

Another feature I feel can be very useful is wireless heart rate monitoring. It is a much more accurate way of monitoring your heart rate than the built-in handlebar pulse sensors. It’s a must-feature for people who love to train in their chosen heart rate zone.

Other monitor features include VR, large HD touchscreens, built-in fitness apps, BlueTooth, etc. The more feature you want, the more money you usually have to pay.

Always remember build quality is more important than the Monit. Many high-end recumbents boast fairly simple monitors but excellent build quality. Beware of advanced monitors on mid-price recumbent bikes; it usually means the company spent more money on the monitor than the bike.

To Sum Up

Even though NoridicTrack only makes one recumbent bike, it’s a good one. It’s surprisingly good for these guys. I love the commercial-grade frame that really gives some weight to this bike. It’s a solid machine. When pedaling on this R35, it will feel like quality because of that sturdy build and heavy flywheel; it won’t feel like some budget machine that’s been cheaply made.

And the tech on the R35 Recumbent Bike is equally impressive. You have the largest color touchscreen in this price bracket, and what I liked most about the monitor is the ease of use. It’s not an overcomplicated monitor. You basically use the OneTouch buttons for everything. And, of course, iFit with loads of online workouts to stream, which you can view on your touchscreen. You’ll never get bored when pedaling on this recumbent bike. Overall, I’m impressed it’s a great bike for the price point.

The only downside is that both ProForm and Norictarck built their bikes around the iFit app, so if you don’t subscribe to iFit, you can’t really make the most out of those impressive HD touchscreens because there are no built-in workout programs, and the monitors aren’t compatible with anything but their app. However, if you love iFit as I do, there’s no need to worry.

NordicTrack Recumbent Bike Reviews FAQs:

What muscles does a recumbent bike work?

Recumbent bikes work the muscles in your legs; these include your large posterior muscles like your hamstrings and glues. These large muscles have a high caloric output requirement meaning you’ll burn many calories exercising on your recumbent bike.

What is the best NordicTrack Recumbent bike?

The NordicTrack R35 is the only, therefore, the best recumbent bike NordicTrack makes. This is a heavy-duty machine weighing 160lb with a commercial-grade steel frame and the best monitor in its price bracket. It’s currently our favorite recumbent bike for under $1500. It’s that good!

How many calories does a recumbent exercise bike burn?

The amount of calories you burn on a recumbent bike largely depends on the intensity of your workout. For example, a 150lb man or woman pedaling at medium intensity for 30 minutes will burn 230 calories. If that same 150lb man or woman were to pedal at a high intensity, they could expect to burn 391.